daimon　大門

KEY WORD :　architecture / gates

Also pronounced *oomon. A generic term for a variety of styles of main gates. One type of daimon is a 4-legged gate called *shikyakumon 四脚門, found at Unjuji 雲樹寺 (14c) in Shimane prefecture. Daimon may be a single-storied gate, or a tall gate resembling a two-storied one *nijuumon 二重門. It may have three openings or only a single opening. A daimon may also be wayou style *wayou 和様; Zen style *zenshuuyou 禅宗様; daibutsu style *daibutsuyou 大仏様; or a mixture of these styles. Daimon are also named according to the directions they face. For example, simple gates that face north are called hokudaimon 北大門. Those that face east are *toumon 東門, south-facing gates are nanmon 南門, and west-facing gates, saimon 西門, seimon or minaimon. Around a palace or temple they are also called hokudaimon, kitamon 北門, meaning north gate. An example at Kyouougokokuji 教王護国寺 in Kyoto, is an 8-legged gate *hakkyakumon 八脚門, with 3-bays and, one entrance *sangen-ikko 三間一戸, and has a gabled roof *kirizuma yane 切妻屋根, covered with tiles *hongawarabuki 本瓦葺. The east gate Toudaimon 東大門 at Houryuuji 法隆寺 is of the same style as the Hokudaimon at Kyouougokokuji. The east gate was moved to Houryuuji in 1028. Toudaiji *Nandaimon 東大寺南大門 (1199) in Nara, is a 2-storied gate of enormous proportions, 5x2 bays, with a hip-and-gable roof, 6-stepped bracket complexes *mutesaki tokyou 六手先斗きょう, and a hip-and-gable tiled roof. The west gate at Yasaka Jinjya 八坂神社 (d.1427) in Kyoto, has 3-bays, one entrance, and a high gable roof covered with tile.

REFERENCES:

EXTERNAL LINKS:

NOTES:

(C)2001 Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System.　No reproduction or republication without written permission. 掲載のテキスト・写真・イラストなど、全てのコンテンツの無断複製・転載を禁じます。